The present invention relates to a pointing device which is used in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer for inputting position information and an input/output integrated information processing apparatus which is integrated with a pointing device and a processor provided with a display device. The present invention also relates to a tapping judgement method in an information processing apparatus having a tablet.
In recent years, an information processing apparatus, with the progress of application to a variety of fields, has been advanced in the implementation of small size and light weight with lap-top type or note type information processing apparatuses having extensively been put to practice as products. Also, for implementation of a small, light weight note type information processing apparatus, development has been advanced for an input/output integrated information processing apparatus which is integrated with a pointing device such as an input tablet and a display device such as a liquid crystal display device.
Generally, in such an input/output integrated information processing apparatus, a cursor is displayed at a position overlapping a position on an input tablet indicated by a pen, finger or the like and the designation of a target position by the displayed cursor is accepted.
However, in such an input/output integrated information processing apparatus, it is required that an offset is provided between the indicating position of the pen, finger or the like and the displayed position of the cursor in order to prevent of the display of the cursor from disappearing behind the pen, finger or the like.
Therefore, in a technique disclosed by JP-A-62-150422, three areas including a display area for displaying a cursor, a movement indication area for indicating the movement of the cursor and a decision indication area for deciding the position of the cursor are displayed and the operation of movement of the cursor is performed in accordance with the operation of movement of a pen, finger or the like which indicates a position overlapping the movement indication area displayed for indicating the movement of the cursor.
In some tablets such as finger tablets, only coordinate information can be input. In one of such tablets in which the selection of an object is made, it is necessary to distinguish a position indication and a selection indication. In a distinguishing method disclosed by the JP-A-62-150422, a distinction between the position indication and the selection indication is realized by providing different areas.
The reason why the distinction between the position indication and the selection indication is realized by providing different areas is as follows. Namely, in a method in which a selection indication is made by tapping a finger or some other indicator on the input surface at a position subjected to position indication, a deviation is caused between the position subjected to position indication and a position subjected to the tapping since the finger or the like is detached from the input surface at some point in time. Therefore it is impossible to accurately make a tapping judgement for the selection indication or the like.
According to the technique disclosed by the JP-A-62-150422, there is no fear that the display of the cursor may disappear behind the finger or the like which operates the cursor. However, in order to move the cursor to an arbitrary position, it is necessary to move the cursor by use of the movement indication area in the vicinity of the display area. This results in deteriorated operability. Namely, it is difficult to obtain a natural feeling of indicating and operating the cursor directly by a finger or pen tip and in its turn a natural feeling of indicating a target position directly by the finger or pen tip.
In the object selection method disclosed by JP-A-62-150422, the position indication and the selection indication are made in the different areas. Therefore, there is a problem that a planar movement of the finger or the like is required between an operation for position indication and an operation for selection indication, thereby resulting in deteriorated operability.